Afrikan News

THE TRAGEDY IN DARFUR

Over 400,000 civilians have already died in Darfur. But, almost 2 years
after the United States officially recognized it as “genocide,” almost
nothing has been done to stop the killing.

A relatively small United Nations peacekeeping force (which wouldn't even
require new US troops) could protect civilians, stop the violence, and help
a real peace process begin. But it won't happen if world leaders, including
ours, don't stand up and demand it.

On Sunday, April 30, 2006, thousands of concerned Americans gathered in Washington to
tell Congress and President Bush to support a real international
peacekeeping force - and to do it now. To help show the national media how
many voters support this call, MoveOn organized a virtual march and is still collecting names of supporters.

Please join me and sign up today:

http://political.moveon.org/darfur

Thanks!

Are Our Children Being Tricked into "Staying Behind"? 

Beware of the "Certificate of Completion or Attendance"

The "Certificate of Completion or Attendance"  that is  being offered in
lieu of high school diplomas, is a part of Bush's "No Child Left Behind".
This is how it works:

It is for students who are unable to pass both the Language Arts and Math
portions of the 10th grade ISTEP. Students must take the same 10th grade
test over in the 11th and 12th grades until they pass both portions. If
they are unable to pass the 10th grade test by the 12th grade then they
have two options:

 1. Drop out and go to a GED program or,
 2. accept a "Certificate of Completion" - it is NOT a diploma. Once a
student accepts it, they cannot ever get a diploma or a GED. A certificate
of completion means that a student can never (as long as they live):

     1. go to the armed services
     2. go to college/university
     3. go to trade school
     4. go to journeyman's school
     5. go to beauty school
     6. go to culinary arts school
     7. get a federal loan

This is the portion of NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND (2001) that Bush slipped in
during the 2004 revision of the NCLB bill. It has not been publicized. At a
high school in Indiana, in 2005, there were 87 seniors in the graduation
class. Five got diplomas and 82 got "Certificates of Completion".

This is being referred to as the "Paper Plantation". It is better for
students to drop out and get into a GED program so they may seek other
forms of education, later in life, if they desire to do so. All 50 states
have "Certificates of Completion or Attendance".

Please pass this information along to EVERYONE you know who has school age
children. Clergy, please preach it from the pulpits. Everyone MUST know
this information.